I’m going to talk about something different in this post. It’s about an issue I believe in and would like to share my opinion about.

Some people might see foreigners and expats in Singapore as “them”, that they are alien, a host of people that invaded our country and are fundamentally different from how local Singaporeans think and behave. I could see how that might seem so – some expats and foreigners in Singapore do have a certain ‘expat’ lifestyle and social circle that excludes locals. I am writing about this because I saw this really upbeat video that shows all the little things we do conscious or unconsciously to the people around us, no matter where they are from, and it struck a chord with me:




But actually I have never thought of foreigners and expats that way. I remember how when I was growing up, we had rented out rooms in our house to a couple of PRCs who are working in Singapore (we were doing the airbnb thing way before it got cool). In the end they turned out to be the elder brothers and sisters we never had. They would help us with our schoolwork, teach us Chinese chess, and even go to the park with us during the weekends. Since my dad came from China when he was young, he would also be chatting and bonding with them during their free time. We never did have the mentality that we are of different groups so we should not interact. In fact, I remember how my mum offered our Chinese tenant a seed of durian for him to try. He took it back to his room, and emerged a while later, with all the flesh scraped onto a plate. "Where’s the seed?", we asked. Turns out he thought THAT was the thing you’re supposed to eat, and he ate it up! Haha. Even said it was quite nice too.

So there’s that. I’ve only truly started interacting with more expats and foreigners when I started working after graduation. I had the good fortune in my first job to be working with a very talented creative director and PR/events director both from the UK. I didn’t notice the colour of their skin – I only saw their talent and work ethic. We became friends easily - we hung out and had beers from time to time after work to chat about what’s happening in Singapore and the oddities sometimes. In fact, the PR director went on to marry a local Singaporean guy after a few years!

In my second job that’s where I truly experienced the international/multi-cultural aspect of being in a company that started in France, and expanded to Singapore for an APAC headquarters. I truly enjoyed my time there with my colleagues from all over the world. Again, there was no such thing as ‘them’ vs ‘us’. We celebrated our differences and marveled at them, but we were the same in how we think and we had fun together.




In this photo we had a community manager from China, one from Indonesia, two Frenchmen, an Eastern European lady and an American. 7 out of 12 were not locals! I could not have had a better group of people to work together even so. The best part was learning that while both Singaporeans and expats/colleagues from overseas both have very good work ethic, they have a stronger sense of work-life balance. You come in, do your work, finish it effectively, wrap up, and go home or out. This cultural mindset was something I had appreciated and tried adopting as well. Meanwhile, our colleagues would also join us for lunch time hawker food adventures and even karaoke after work!

Another funny story was how we had a couple of French colleagues visit the Singapore office, and we ended up being fast friends, to the extent where when I went over to Paris, they brought us around too! Eventually they came to Singapore to work, and we hung out even more then.



One of the colleagues from my previous company was from the Philippines, and we’ve since become good friends till now. He’d lived in Singapore for quite a large number of years here and has no problems integrating with us, though sometimes he still gets quite puzzled by certain Singaporean traits like being ‘kiasu’. This was a recent photo when we caught up after he came back to Singapore to visit, now that he is working overseas in Amsterdam.



Finally, in my current workplace I also interact and work on a daily basis with expat colleagues. In fact, my boss is half Thai and half Peruvian, but had studied in the UK! Another colleague is Singaporean Indian, but had spent majority of his adult life in Australia, but is now back here. I find it very refreshing to work with a mix of locals and non-locals because wider perspectives and ways of thinking can be had.

I don’t think it’s possible to live in Singapore and be closed off to interaction with expats or foreigners. We are after all an immigrant society and country and we’re all in it together to make it better. I had so much fun looking through all these photos and remembering the good times and good people that had been in my life – there’s no “them”, only “us”. I hope anyone reading this will also feel the same, and encourage others who might be apprehensive or negative about other people who is not local to become more open and friendly!

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Do you know that in this tiny island of Singapore there is at least 200 to 300 independent cafes scattered all over? While you can refer to those mega lists of café directories to see where each of them is, you’ll no doubt be spoilt for choice. Which of them is really worth going? Which of them are must-tries if you are a coffee fan? Well, I’ve been going to these cafes for 5 years now since the first few sprouted up because I’m a huge fan of café food (brunch, waffles) and coffee in the company of similarly like-minded friends, so I'm going to give you my top picks in recent times for what I think are ‘legit’ cafes that has consistently served up good coffee, food or both.


1. Tolido’s Espresso Nook

A tiny little coffeehouse that uses beans from Yahava Coffee (at Thomson), Tolido’s has a delightful range of coffees, but also decent brunch and lunch food like pastas and sandwiches. The latte here is smooth and light with a slightly acidic note. I like the fact that it is situated in the middle of a really old housing estate, but yet is near enough to the hip and trendy Haji lane that is just a couple of streets away.



Tolido’s Espresso Nook
#01-63, 462 Crawford Lane, Singapore 190462
+65 66480178
Tue - Sun: 09:00 - 21:00
Closed on Mondays


2. La Ristrettos

This is a super hidden café that you’ll never be able to just ‘walk past’, unless you happen to be at the 8th floor of Novena Medical Centre during week days before 6pm or Saturdays before 1pm.  I have heard about this place from coffee aficionados, and walking into the café you will realize that they do treat their coffee making seriously – the machine and barista actually takes up one forth of the already small space with an open coffee making counter. It’s not a big café, but they also serve up food and even desserts. You could also sit al fresco with a cup of their very best cappuccino.



La Ristrettos
#08-37, Novena Medical Centre, 10 Sinaran Drive, Singapore 307506
+65 63977165
Mon - Fri: 08:00 - 18:00, Sat: 08:00 - 13:00
Closed on Sundays


3. The Lokal

You have to try the coffee here, which comes from Sarnies (another great place in Chinatown known for quality coffee and beef sandwiches). Even though The Lokal might look and feel like a typical hipster café, you’ll realize that the quality of the food and drink offered here stands a notch about others, which is why I am betting on it to continue their business. The location is also spot-on for a mid-day break around the Outram/Tanjong Pagar district where there’s plenty to see.  Try their dessert creations like the warm banana cake with pistachios and caramalized bananas and pair it with a smooth cup of latte.



The Lokal
136 Neil Road, Singapore 088865
+65 64239918
Mon - Fri: 08:00 - 18:00
Sat - Sun: 09:00 - 16:00


4. Drury Lane

Just a few minutes away from The Lokal would be Drury Lane at Tanjong Pagar, which again will seem like an unassuming independent café, but turned out to have one of the best coffees in the area. This 2-storey shophouse café might look just functional, but they made it work with a small kitchen to serve up brunch food and cakes. The real star of the place is the quality of the coffee that the barista will serve up. Try their espresso to get an intense bolt of flavours (and caffeine). Otherwise, chat with some friends over a leisurely latte.



Drury Lane
94 Tanjong Pagar Road, Singapore 088515
Mon - Fri: 8:30 am - 9:00 pm, Sat - Sun: 10:00 am - 6:00 pm
+65 62226698


5. One Man Coffee

A tough spot to fill with some many more cafes out there, but I’ll say One Man Coffee along Upper Thomson Road will have to take the cake (or the cup, in this case). Like the name suggests, it probably started out as a one-man operation, and only operates during the day because it is sharing the space with CRUST, a pizzeria that opens only in the evening. How brilliant is that? I like this café because it is so unassuming but you can tell the amount of effort that’s put into serving up a good cup of coffee that is made from the heart, using beans from Melbourne, Australia. Try the Magic ($4.50) – a double shot espresso with milk that is sure to jumpstart your day.



One Man Coffee
215R Upper Thomson Road, Singapore 574349
+65 96851685
Daily from 9am to 5pm

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